|
SAN BERNARDINO: University police killed unarmed student during struggle
/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
BARTHOLOMEW WILLIAMS
BY RICHARD BROOKS
Campus police shot and killed a 38-year-old university student outside his apartment after he grappled for an officer’s baton, grabbed and used pepper spray, and then began kicking an officer in the head, say city police officials.
“According to his mother … he’d been off his medications (for bi-polar disorder) for at least a week,” Sgt. Gary Robertson said of Bartholomew Williams, who died at the scene of the 6:56 p.m. confrontation Saturday, Dec. 8, at University Village along the 1500 block of West Northpark Boulevard.
Williams was a graduate student who was has been working toward a master’s degree in educational instructional technology since summer 2011, but had taken only one course during the semester that ended Friday, said university spokesman Sid Robinson.
Though the shooting happened just hours after the university’s two graduation ceremonies, the 18,000-student campus appeared tranquil – and largely deserted -- Sunday.
“There’s not that many people on campus, so there’s just not much of a buzz,” said 20-year-old student Holly Nicolet of Wisconsin whose dorm was across the street from the violence. “We feel safe. We’re not worried.”
Williams shared a ground-floor apartment in Building 8 with three other male students.
The fatal confrontation occurred during the third time that officers had been summoned to deal with Williams that day because of erratic behavior, police said. Officers from an early shift dealt with the first two incidents, details of which were unavailable Sunday.
The violence began after three campus police officers on a later shift answered the third call and knocked on the apartment door to investigate a report that Williams was creating a disturbance and acting irrationally, police said.
Williams answered the door and stepped into the hallway where the officers questioned him.
“They tried to take him into custody for psychological evaluation,” Robertson said. “He resisted … and the struggle began.”
Various witnesses told investigators that the fight lasted as long as seven to 10 minutes.
Williams was at least 6-feet-tall and weighed 205 pounds, police said.
During the fight, officers used batons and pepper-spray, Robertson said, “which had no effect on him whatsoever, according to the officers.”
Williams reportedly fought for control of at least one of the batons. And at one point, he gained possession of an officer’s pepper spray and used it, Robertson said.
The officers, two men and a woman, were unable to overcome him. Ultimately, Williams got the upper hand on one male officer, police say.
“He had one handcuff on: It was now swinging … (creating) a weapon with serrated teeth,” said Lt. Paul Williams. “He was on top of the officer, kicking the officer in the head and torso.”
Believing that the officer was in danger of great bodily injury or death, the two remaining officers fired a total of five bullets, city police said. Campus police are not equipped with Tasers.
The police account of the shooting seemed to change the mind of at least one student.
“The reaction I’ve seen is that people are a little upset because he was (rumored to be) unarmed,” said 21-year-old communications major Vanessa Sandoval of Indio. “Was it really necessary (for him) to be shot?”
But that was before Sandoval learned that Williams had allegedly grappled for weapons, gassed his opponents with pepper spray and was kicking one of the officers in the head.
“That’s different,” she decided.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/san-bernardino-county/san-bernardino-county-headlines-index/20121209-san-bernardino-university-police-killed-student-during-struggle.ece?ssimg=816223#ssStory816018
UPDATED REPORT: Walter Veith Responds to EUD and is Banned in German Churches by German Adventist Leaders
 |
| On the left: Bruno Vertallier (president of the Inter-European Division), on the right: Walter Veith |
An inquiry is currently underway in Germany concerning Walter Veith and anti-semitism charges. In our previously published report, the circumstances and dialogue that took place in this incident are outlined. On December 4, 2012, the EUD made the decision 45 in favour, 4 opposed, and 1 undecided to ban Walter Veith from speaking in German SDA Churches for the second time. The previous ban took place in 2004 due to his lectures on Bible translations and what was termed as "conspiracy theories" which were highly disapproved of by German leaders. The ban was lifted in 2010, but now has been reinstated.
Readers should note that there have been no complaints from Jews in regards to Walter's comments, nor have any non-SDAs had issue with the contents of his series. All complaints and disapproval originated from fellow SDA brethren, specifically those associated with the private news agency EANN (similar to Spectrum), and from Church leadership that sided with the accusers. The ban from speaking in German SDA Churches stems not from any public offence actually made, but rather from leadership so desperate to be politically correct that they rather sacrifice truth. Or is there a more sinister reason for their strong opposition to this message??
The following letter was sent on December 5, 2012 by Walter Veith to Bruno Vertallier in response to his November 30, 2012 letter of disapproval and request to meet.
Dear Brother Vertallier
Thank you for your letter to which I would like to respond. Firstly,
I never received any e-mails from you as you might have sent them to an
old address and our telephone lines have been stolen so you would not
have been able to reach me on the land line. Secondly, from the tone of
your letter it is obvious that you did not accept my explanation of
the ‘small yellow cloth’ phrase and I therefore assume that you suppose
that it was intentionally derogatory towards the Jews as a people. It
seems as though some people are bent on assuming evil intent because
that is what they want to hear. The fact of the matter is that my
lectures are too close to home for some and therefore every word is
placed on the gold scale to find something objectionable and they
refuse to accept my explanation that it was an issue of language barrier
and nothing else.Let me spell it out for you: In my home language (Afrikaans) all diminutives are endearing and express empathy and we even have double diminutives and triple diminutives to express feelings. In German diminutives are often deemed derogatory and since German and Afrikaans share phrases it is natural for me to use Afrikaans nuances when speaking German. In fact I got into trouble before in Germany for saying that someone had a ‘small heart’ (kleines Herz) as opposed to ‘large heart’ (groβes Herz). In Afrikaans someone with a small heart (klein hartjie –which by the way is a double diminutive) is kind, full of empathy, gentle, easily hurt, or endearing, but in German it means ‘hard-hearted’ or ‘stingy’. In Afrikaans one would use the phrase ‘small cloth’ to distinguish it from the opposite extreme such as a large cloth like a bed sheet and no one would even think to interpret it otherwise. I therefore reiterate that I did not mean it in a derogatory sense and that I harbor no anti-Semitic sentiments. Moreover, having grown up in Africa and not in Germany, I was never associated with discrimination against the Jews nor did I ever side with or share any sentiments with those who did. On the contrary, discriminatory ideologies are abhorrent to me.
My statements have been wrenched out of all proportions and since the actions of the SDA leadership in German-speaking Europe during the war were not exactly exemplary (as is clear from their apology in the 2005 declaration on anti-Semitism and also the recent reiteration of that declaration) I assume that you overreacted for fear that the past should haunt you. In line with that declaration, I too am against all forms of discrimination on the grounds of race or religion and stand firmly for religious liberty but I draw a clear line of distinction between the theological issues and the racial issues involved. It seems to me that some find it difficult to distinguish between the two because they carry this burden of guilt. The fact that the SDA church in Germany shares this guilt does, however, not give them the right to transfer this baggage onto me and to swing to the opposite extreme of discriminating against the ‘antitypical Jews’ who preach the Three Angels’ Messages. If they do this, then their confession becomes a repentance of King Saul without the change of heart, because they demonstrate by their action that they are just as willing now to repeat their folly as they were then.
As Seventh-day Adventists we have been called to present a particular message – the Three Angels’ Messages - which will end in the clarion call to all who are trapped in Babylon to ‘Come out of her, My people’. The false ideologies must be laid bare and Babylon will be exposed or else no one will know what they are to come out of. The trumpet must give a certain sound so the people can rally under the Lord’s banner. This is the aim of my lectures and this should be the aim of every SDA evangelist as we are admonished ‘not to let anything else occupy our minds’. Modern Babylonian ideologies are closely associated with a literal state of Israel and must therefore be exposed as false and this alone is the aim of my lectures. The preaching of the Three Angels’ Messages is uncomfortable to those within our ranks who wish to be so politically correct that they are willing to sacrifice truth for worldly acceptance.
The German leaders never consulted me before issuing a public statement to the churches and thereby did not follow the Biblical process as outlined in Matthew 18:15-20, thereby aligning themselves with the accusers. Furthermore, the legal procedures that have been initiated against me are also out of harmony with Scripture and since the leadership has not distanced itself from this process, they too are in breach of the Biblical admonition in this regard. Your letter to me clearly shows that the EUD position is no different from the above and therefore I now have no choice other than to place this response and some concerns of my own in the public domain as well.
- The modern ecumenical tendencies in our midst becloud the
presentation of the Three Angels’ Messages and it seems that our
representatives in Europe (as published recently in a German SDA
journal) cannot even give a reason as to why we believe that the papacy
is the antichrist or why we as a church deem it necessary to hand out
the ‘Great Controversy’. Are we not admonished against ecumenical
associations and will this not be a stumbling block to the propagation
of our message?
- Why is it that not a word of remonstrance is heard when false
practices are brought into the church? Most of leadership seems
unconcerned when Spiritual Formation comes into our ranks like a flood
in spite of the fact that it has its roots in Jesuitical spirituality
(as dealt with extensively in my lecture ‘The Jesuits and the
Counterreformation’). We go even further and advertise books with these
sentiments in official church publications. Why was there no public
rebuke when a speaker at one of our institutes in Europe advocated
blessings by Wiccan witches and why was this speaker even permitted to
speak at other SDA institutes? Were those involved ever given letters
of rebuke? I am aware that this is not only a European problem and that
other institutes have permitted Jesuits and other such speakers to
speak at Adventist forums.
- Why is it that our youth is led astray at official gatherings
with music and performances that have no semblance of heaven? I have
watched shocking videos of youth and church leaders in Europe engaging
in events that would even make other denominations blush. Are we so bent
on apostasy that concerned brethren are driven to cry between the
porch and the altar for all the evil that is done in Israel? Even
Conference Presidents have expressed their deep sadness with regard to
this issue to me personally. Again, I acknowledge that this is a
worldwide problem, but that the leadership should lead the way in this
apostasy, is indeed astounding.
- Why is it that we willingly adopt the practices of non-SDA mega
churches and emerging church theologies that change our message and our
outreach to one of ‘correction of social injustices’ rather than a
message of salvation? It seems this is the new wave. Did those who
teach these things ever receive letters of rebuke? Is it right that
these new methods should be drummed into our students and that we
should embrace these practices when we are not only admonished by the
Spirit of Prophecy that we should steer clear of such things but are
even warned that they would come in like a flood. Do we really want to
be part of this fulfillment of prophecy or should we do all in our
power to stop it?
- Why is it that there was no official letter of rebuke from Europe
when most of the delegates of that territory voted against the
clarification of our position regarding the literal Six-day Creation?
Why are evolutionary ideologies not only embraced in our ranks, but the
‘princes of Israel’, who are supposed to lead the flock in the ancient
paths align themselves publicly with this apostasy? When the
testimonies that were once believed are marginalized and relegated to
the ‘trash heap of nineteenth century literature’, then the road to
perdition is sure to follow. Why are leading figures allowed to slight
and ridicule the testimonies and no action is taken against them? Does
the Spirit of Prophecy not form part of our fundamental beliefs?
- Where does Europe stand when it comes to the ordination issue? Irrespective of where we stand on the issue personally, why are there rumblings of secession from the ranks because pet theories are placed above church unity? Did Christ pray in vain for unity? Is it necessary to print an additional watered-down evangelically-minded Sabbath School lesson book just to avoid the sentiments expressed in the Spirit of Prophecy and hereby cause divisions in the church in Europe and indeed in the world?
The list could go on and on but I will leave it there. There are many voices of concern regarding these issues, not least of which is that of Elder Ted Wilson who stands out like a beacon of hope and I believe that God has placed him there for a time like this. It is shameful how he was and still is treated by some in our ranks. We can no longer remain silent in the face of these things or else we will be found wanting. We will have to meet these challenges head on (“Iceberg ahead – meet it!”) and may God be gracious to us during the shaking which must come.
Regarding the issue of Freemasonry and the Jesuits, these matters are clearly outlined in the Spirit of Prophecy and I feel that further discussions would not be fruitful. If we disregard the Spirit of Prophecy, how will we ever understand our SDA mission? Therefore nothing that I could say would change your perceptions. I have stated my case in the past and up to date have never received any reply regarding these documents and I append them again for your clarification.
I wish to assure you that I love Christ and His truth, as given to our pioneers, with all my heart. I believe that this church will go through to the Kingdom and I will continue to do all in my power to call people into its ranks and it is my prayer that the church will unify on the true Advent message as it was preached from 1842 to 1846 {GCB, April 6, 1903 par. 35; 1 MR 52.2}. I thank God for the pioneers and godly Adventists who as late as 1952 published our first declaration of fundamental beliefs under the official auspices of the General Conference in the book “Principles of Life”. I stand by this Adventism and by the grace of God will not be moved.
I wish to make an appeal to you in the words of the Spirit of prophecy:
Seventh-day Adventists are now to stand forth separate and distinct, a people denominated by the Lord as His own. Until they do this, He cannot be glorified in them. Truth and error cannot stand in copartnership. Let us now place ourselves where God has said that we should stand.... We are to strive for unity but not on the low level of conformity to worldly policy and union with the popular churches.--Lt 113, 1903. {2MCP 559.2}
Your Brother in Christ
Walter Veith
66 German priests accused of sex abuse
Germany's Roman Catholic church has revealed that at least 66
clergy had been accused of sexually abusing children and adults during a
10-year period, with most of the victims male.
The findings were
part of a scientific study ordered after the church was thrown into
crisis two years ago when hundreds came forward alleging they had been
abused as minors between the 1950s and 80s.
Based on dozens of
expert appraisals of Catholic clergy from between 2000 and 2010
submitted by 21 of Germany's 27 dioceses, it said the clergy had been
accused of 576 cases of sexual abuse.
Three-quarters of the 265
alleged targets of abuse were male, the German Bishops' Conference
said, on Friday releasing the report drawn up by three forensic centres
for research.
Most of the cases took place between the 1960s and
90s "in a period when a different social awareness and a lower
sensitivity to the theme of sexual acts on children and youths still
prevailed", Norbert Leygraf, of the Institute of Forensic Psychiatry at
Duisburg-Essen University, said in a statement.
"Understanding
has changed in the course of the years both within the Catholic church
as well as in society as a whole - today the focus is the greatest
possible transparency and effort for quick clarification of cases of
abuse," he said.
The study said "only in few cases" was the
alleged abuse the result of an abnormal psychological condition, such
as paedophilia, and cases largely reflected the rate of the problem in
society at large.
"In particular a sexual preference disorder as
defined by paedophilia or hebephilia was only diagnosed in a minority
of clergy," Leygraf said.
"In this regard this is not significantly different from the prevalence in the overall German population," he added.
The
study, which was launched in April last year, was conducted from
expert reports on 78 Catholic clergy and found that, in most cases, the
clergy had come into contact with the victim through the church
congregation.
Leygraf noted the fact that there were more male
victims than female could be due to girls having rarely acted as altar
girls until the 1980s.
Bishop Stephan Ackermann, appointed by the
Bishops' Conference for handling issues surrounding claims of sexual
abuse of minors, said in a statement that the study was an "important
building block".
He said he hoped it would help towards improving preventive measures.
The Conservative Byte
|
| December 9, 2012 |
Obama Silent As Marine Is Chained To Bed In Mexican Jail On Trumped Up Charges
Former United States Marine (once a Marine, always a Marine) and Iraq War Veteran Jon Hammar endured much in his tour in the streets of Fallujah, but now he spends most of his time chained to a bed in a Mexican jail on trumped up gun charges that could result in twelve years in jail. Not surprisingly his former commander-in-chief Barack Obama has been absolutely silent on the matter, even though he was arrested on August 13. Didn’t anyone tell you this?
Hammar took to Mexico with a friend to surf, as it was the only thing that seemed to ease his mind following his service in Iraq. He is now within walking distance of the U.S. border, but sadly does not possess the freedom to do so.
And why is a former Marine chained to a bed in a Mexican Jail? McClatchy DC reports:
The reason might seem ludicrous. Hammar took a six-decade-old shotgun into Mexico.
The .410 bore Sears & Roebuck shotgun once belonged to his great-grandfather. The firearm had been handed down through the generations, and it had become almost a part of Hammar, suitable for shooting birds and rabbits.
But Mexican prosecutors who looked at the disassembled relic in the 1972 Winnebago motor home dismissed the U.S. registration papers Hammar had filled out. They charged him with a serious crime: possession of a weapon restricted for use to Mexico’s armed forces.
Hammar isn’t the only American accused of questionable gun-related charges at Mexico’s border. Last April, a truck driver who was carrying ammunition through Texas got lost near the border, dipped into Mexico to make a U-turn and was forced to spend more than six months in jail.According to his grandmother the shotgun was more like a “glorified BB gun.”
Both Hammar and his friend Ian McDonough were arrested, not because of the gun, which had cleared customs, but because of the length of the barrel. The Mexican prosecutors “dismissed the U.S. registration papers Hammar had filled out,” charging Hammar with the serious crime of “possession of a weapon restricted for use to Mexico’s armed forces”:
Curiously, it wasn’t the type of shotgun that broke Mexican law. It was the length of the barrel, which the formal citation said was shorter than 25 inches, although a discrepancy has emerged over how the barrel was measured.Hammar’s friend, Mcdonough, was released and allowed to walk back into Texas.
According to Marine Sgt. James Garcia, who served with Hammar in several combat situations, he said Hammar was “one of the best we had.” According to the reports Hammer, who is now only 27 years old, “joined the Marines and deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq before receiving an honorable discharge in 2007, serving another four years in inactive reserve.”
During his stay he has received death threats and as he was sent to a state prison in Matamoros, his parents in Florida received extortion phone calls demanding $1,800. They did not pay, but instead contacted U.S. diplomats who were able to get Hammar moved from a wing of the prison controlled by a Mexican drug cartel into solitary confinement.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said, “His family has described a very disturbing situation that includes their son being chained to a bed in a very small cell and receiving calls from fellow inmates threatening his life if they did not send them money. The family also says that the jail where their son is being held is controlled by the dreaded and brutal Zetas drug cartel. The family wants their son back home, and I will do my best to help them.”
I’m pretty sure the Mexico is pretty ticked off still over our government’s blatant supplying of arms to Mexican drug cartels with the Fast and Furious scandal has hurt our relationship with them. No doubt there should be no need to take it out on a U.S. citizen, but this is what happens when you have a man like Barack Obama in the White House.
While Garcia says, “He doesn’t deserve this. We never leave a brother behind. We never leave a Marine behind. We have to do something,” and the Hammar’s own representative says she will do all she can to help, Barack Obama has said absolutely nothing on the matter or lifted a finger to help this marine who served his country.
Freedom Outpost
 |  |
|
| |||||||
Patriot Update
|
The Best Kept Secret of Waste in Washington? Deep in a secure laboratory just outside Washington sits the federal government’s heaviest smoker. It is a half-ton hulk of a machine, all brushed aluminum and gasping smoke holes, like a retrofit of equipment used on … ... READ MORE | |
|
Fiscal Cliffs and Republican Ravines: How 2012 could be 1974 As the United States draws closer and closer to the “fiscal cliff,” one has to wonder if Republican Party leaders understand what is truly at stake. Surveys indicate that most Americans support large parts of … ... READ MORE | |
- Study: Obama Won Swing States Thanks to Irreligious Voters
- Congress Overwhelmingly Votes to Ban the Word ‘Lunatic’
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr: Conservative Media Outlets Have “Divided Our Country”
- Will Oklahoma Strike Down Obamacare’s Key Provision?
- As Fiscal Cliff Looms, Obama Prepares for 20-Day, $4M Hawaiian Vacation
- Jeb Bush: Don’t Call Me A Centrist, ‘I’m Pretty Damn Conservative’
- Reboot: Obama Planning More Stimulus
- How Political Consultants Lost the Election for Mitt Romney Before it Even Began
- 73% of Jobs Created in Last Five Months Government Jobs
- SALVATION ARMY: Record Number Of Families In Need For Christmas
- Fiscal Cliffs and Republican Ravines: How 2012 could be 1974
- Israel: What Obama Should Have Said
- Your Honor, The Gun Made Me Do It!
- Skousen was Right in “The Naked Communist”
- America: A House Once Again Divided Against Itself – Part III
- When Christmas was more religious, the social statistics were far better, and the nation was happier and more in love
- UN Secret Meeting Set to Capture Internet Control
- Voting Rights
- America Was Better Off Before We Became “Non-Judgemental”
- The Month Before Christmas
- PatriotUpdate.com is dedicated to the ideals of a free press, featuring headlines submitted by our readers as well as daily commentary provided by our editors and guest writers. Of particular note are the regular syndicated columns of well-known thinkers, including Michelle Malkin, Thomas Sowell, Chuck Norris, Dick Morris, Floyd Brown, and Michael Reagan.
TODAY'S CARTOON
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)